Cummins names leader of electrolyzer business

Alexey Ustinov will serve as vice president of electrolyzers at Cummins

Cummins Inc. has named Alexey Ustinov as vice president of electrolyzers, the company’s hydrogeneration business. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Ustinov is a 28-year Cummins veteran who most recently led the company’s off-highway diesel engine segment.

Ustinov will lead a team of innovators to accelerate the scaling and adoption of hydrogen technologies. “Hydrogen will play a significant role in a decarbonized global economy, with the ability to support the most energy-intensive industries,” said Amy Davis, Vice President and President of New Power at Cummins. “Electrolysis represents a critical component of a net-zero future, and Alexey’s expertise and experience will help us drive the technology and the market forward.”

“Cummins has a robust strategy to realize a more sustainable future, the crux of which is bringing cleaner technology to the market quickly,” said Ustinov. “Hydrogen innovation is at the forefront of our path to a zero-emissions future, and we have the market-leading technology and world-class talent to help customers in the most difficult-to-abate sectors make the transition. I am inspired by the incredible potential we have to better the industries and the communities in which we work.”

Most of the 75 million tons of hydrogen used today is produced using natural gas through steam methane reforming, which produces “grey” hydrogen. While better than fossil fuels, this process still produces harmful greenhouse gases. Cummins has committed to scaling water electrolysis powered by renewable electricity to produce “green” hydrogen, which is considered carbon-free.

Cummins maintains a portfolio of renewable hydrogen technologies, commercially producing proton exchange membrane (PEM) and alkaline electrolyzers. The company is also conducting research and development for solid oxide electrolyzers with the help of a recent U.S. Department of Energy project award. Its electrolyzer solutions power some of the largest hydrogen-based facilities and mobile technology around the world.